Java1 or Java2?

[xinix]

Hi all, I want to begin programming in either Java1 or Java2 (probably Java2 as it is the more recent). Are there any free Java2 compilers on the internet (like the Bloodshed C++ compiler) I could download?

Thanks

[server_crash]

Don't learn java1 that would be a waste. Learn java2. There are lots of free compilers at this place:

java.sun.com

You should see something on the right hand side saying popular downloads and then click on the J2SE 5.0.

[xinix]

Thank you!

[Tlhokomelo]

Hi all, I want to begin programming in either Java1 or Java2 (probably Java2 as it is the more recent). Are there any free Java2 compilers on the internet (like the Bloodshed C++ compiler) I could download?

Thanks

Hi there xinix, I am also new to the OOP programming world and I have found that java is the best place to start. :cool:
So my advice to you is that you should start from the begining because it gives you a view of the bigger picture and makes it easy for you to understand java's evolution...So just take you time at it and start with java one(May be a bit limited yet rewarding).Let the Mutantion continue... :o

[jwenting]

in fact, all compilers that I know of are free. It's the editors you can elect commercial offerings for (which often offer production enhancing features not found in the free ones).

But when learning the language, don't use a full blown IDE. Those prevent you from learning important concepts like package structure and classpaths.

There's a ton of questions being posted in Java forums constantly by people who claim to have been using Java for years yet when faced with a commandline don't even know how to call the compiler...

[server_crash]

Very true jwenting. I know at my high school we are using textpad and no one but I has ever had any previous programming experience. I didn't understand why they started this way but they did. Also, our first project was an applet, and they didn't even have to write the html code for it. The IDE did it for them. :rolleyes:

[jwenting]

Most teachers that start their students out on an IDE couldn't find their way around a command prompt themselves...
It may be getting a bit better but a few years ago anyone who could turn on a computer was hired for programming jobs. Anyone with a tad more experience (say they could spell the name of the language) was hired as a teacher.
Some of those people are still around sadly and haven't learned much in the intervening period.

In India and surrounding countries we now observe the same thing starting to happen which in part explains the flood of questions to many forums about extremely basic things written in extremely poor English.

[server_crash]

It really suprised me when I got into AP Computer Science this year. I thought I would have a tuff time even though I knew quit a bit about java, but I seriously have been teaching the teachers at some times. So I guess your right about the selecting of teachers and stuff.

[jwenting]

When I first learned C++ the uni had just sent one teacher to a C++ course during summer recess.
He then started teaching his colleagues 2 weeks before classes started at the same rate they were supposed to teach it to us (so they were supposed to remain 2 weeks ahead all through the year), it had been deemed too expensive to send all teachers on that course...

Of course several of us (including me...) studied faster than the curiculum called for and pulled ahead of our teacher. It sometimes was embarassing to have your own teacher ask you for your opinion on things they weren't certain of themselves...

These were experienced teachers, very good otherwise. But due to budget restrictions they hadn't been properly trained in what they were supposed to teach and when saddled with students who studied faster than the course schedule called for they got stuck (but were not too proud to admit it).

[server_crash]

Yeah, it's the same way here. I was hoping to have a teacher that was a guru at java so I could learn a lot. But, I guess it's not all his fault.

[fiberoptik]

Mine is a mac user. He used CodeWarrior, but they stopped upgrading it, so he switched to Eclipse. Now we're using Eclipse, and I had troubles w/setup. He couldn't help me, as he just started using it himself. I only installed/deleted both ~8-12 times each. :evil: